"Brute Force is Good, but not THAT Good"

Brute Force has been hyped beyond all reason as the next best thing to Halo, in fact some even said it would best Halo. Well, the game obviously uses some of the same controls and technology as Halo, but let me tell you that this game is not as revolutionary as Halo was. However, just because Brute Force does not best Halo doesn't mean it isn't fun. Follow the review below and you'll see what I mean.

Gameplay - Imagine Halo controls in the third person perspective and with added items such as a Berserk mode and team control. The controls are pretty intuitive with fire being the R trigger and jump is the L trigger. You can only carry two guns, weak, and there are more variety to extras that can be carried, such as medkits, frags, and mines. The item carrying is similar to Splinter Cell in that you hold a button and the game pauses to let you chose your item, then you must press another button to use it. Controlling your team is where Brute Force attempts to innovate. The AI is really good, and you have four different options on controlling them, stand still, follow you, move alone, or move to a designated spot and wait. You handle the team with each character as a direction on the analog stick and by quickly pushing a direction will switch you to that character, holding that direction will pause the game so that you can give a command. So although the controls are very complex at first with so much to know, the game eases you into it by giving you characters one at a time so you learn to handle the larger four team task force. The controls may not be anything original but They prove to be spot on and easy to use even in the heat of battle.

Story - The story aspect of Brute Force is covered through cut scenes in between levels, ala Halo. I would be lying if I said that the story actually makes you want to see what happens next, the story stinks. But that's okay, because the characters make funny comments in game that never seem to repeat, so that is a plus.

Audio/Video - This game is pretty. No doubt that the cut scenes are on par with the prettiest games on XBOX. the in game graphics are awesome too. Brute Force even bests Panzer Dragoon Orta with amazing in game graphics and a rustically, exaggerated art style. The sound is awesome. In game comments are made by team members that take some of the tension off and give you a good laugh or even help to set the mood for an upcoming onslaught.

Replayability - You want to unlock all the characters for mulitplayer. This is the sole reason for spending time learning each level. Plus with the three difficulty levels you will want to keep getting more of a challenge. The single player game is fun, you can have a friend play along, and so this game could easily hold you until the next supposed hit comes to XBOX.

So all in all Brute Force does a great job at being fun to play with or without friends. It offers a good mix of enemies and strategic options that warrant it as an excellent rent or a good buy. If you really don't like shooters then this may not be for you, but anyone who has the slightest enjoyment with action/adventure and shooter games should invest in this title.